Cook-Off
The Carpenter’s Cook-Off 2025!
When:
October 19, 2025
12 noon to 3 pm
Where:
The Birchmere
3701 Mt Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22305
What:
- Restaurant Tastings
- Live Music by DJ Infinite Sounds
- Live and Silent Auction
- Raffles
- Children’s Corner
We’re cooking up more details—check back soon to see what’s new!
Please join us on Sunday, October 19th, 2025, from 12 noon to 3 pm at The Birchmere and indulge in an afternoon of food and fun while supporting Carpenter’s Shelter! At the Carpenter’s Cook-Off 2025, attendees will enjoy tastings from 20 area restaurants, and bid on hot ticket items during the live and silent auctions.
If you manage a restaurant, catering business or bakery and you would like to participate in the Carpenter’s Cook-Off, download the participation form. Fill out both sides of the form and email it as soon as possible to Michiko Yoon, Communications Specialist at MYoon@CarpentersShelter.org.
Check out Carpenter’s Cook-Off 2025 participants and check back regularly for updates!
Meet our 2025 Celebrity Judges!
Chef Brian Lacayo brings 23 years of culinary arts and restaurant management experience, having graduated from the New York Restaurant School and completed a five-year tenure with Jean Georges’ restaurants in Lower Manhattan. His impressive career includes working in Zagat-rated NYC restaurants, culinary explorations in Vietnam and Kuala Lumpur, and consulting as a chef at Chickery Rotisserie Chicken Restaurant in Dubai.
Notably, Chef Lacayo competed in Iron Chef America (Battle Prosciutto 2010), has been a guest chef at the White House four times, and participated in the DC Presidential Correspondence Brunch three times. His accolades include winning the New York Food and Wine Burger Bash with Spike Mendelsohn in 2006 and serving as the chef at the Canadian Ambassador Brunch in 2016.
Chef Lacayo has consulted on the successful launch of eight restaurants in the DMV and NY Tri-state area, and for the past three years, he has been a featured chef at the Taste of Space event hosted by NASA’s Kennedy Center. His expertise spans private chef services, meal preparation, consulting, product development, and recipe creation.
Since opening Bastille in 2006 on the outskirts of Old Town Alexandria VA, the restaurant has garnered eight RAMMY nominations, Washingtonian Top 100 listings and Northern Virginia Magazine’s Top 50 restaurants.
Chef Christophe Poteaux’s cooking is rooted in his French heritage and features reimagined classic French dishes, utilizing local Mid-Atlantic products. Chef Michelle Poteaux’s desserts are straightforward, cloaked in nothing but vibrant French flavors and techniques. Bastille’s seasonally evolving menus are sprinkled with influences from France, the Midwest and from both of them living in California and now the East Coast.
Chefs Michelle and Christophe Poteaux moved and reopened their flagship brasserie to 606 N. Fayette Street, located in the Asher apartment building in January 2015. This chic space is only two blocks from the Braddock Metro / 5 Blocks from King Street and one block from Route 1 South and is located in Alexandria’s quaint Parker Grey neighborhood. Bastille Brasserie & Bar’s expanded location features a large courtyard patio; an expansive bar and café area; and classic Parisian brasserie vibes in both of their dining rooms. When seeking French food in Old Town Alexandria, Bastille is the perfect neighborhood destination.
Emily Hoang is a food-loving digital strategist and social media agency owner who’s been shaping appetites and online conversations since 2017, before influencer marketing was even a buzzword. She started as a local food influencer, sharing her passion for great eats and hidden gems on Instagram, and has since built a powerhouse platform that helps restaurants, events, and small businesses thrive. Known for her creative storytelling and knack for building community, Emily blends her love for food with her expertise in cultivating authentic brand voices. Whether she’s behind the camera or behind the judge’s table, she believes the best flavors, like the best online connections, are made to be shared.
Carpenter’s Cook-Off 2025 would not be possible without the generous support of our caring community.
Sponsorship of Carpenter’s Cook-Off 2025 is essential to reaching our annual fundraising goal for this event. We are so grateful for these outstanding community partnerships, which enable us to continue working towards our mission of ending homelessness in Northern Virginia.
Is your company interested in sponsoring? Contact Meghan Cole, at MCole@CarpentersShelter.org.
Thank you to our 2025 Cook-Off Sponsors!
Top Chef Sponsor
Sous Chef Sponsor
Sommelier Sponsors
Maitre D’ Sponsors
Foodie Sponsors
Host Committee is a passionate circle of individuals who support the Cook-Off and the shelter by providing financial support and inviting friends to join in. Host Committee members receive tickets to the Cook-Off as well as pre-and-post event recognition.
Many thanks to our Carpenter’s Cook-Off Host Committee!
Feast
Nosh
Mike and Joy Lyden
Ernie Pickell and Bridget Donohue
Judi Geli Robinson
Kristin Teeters
Nibble
Ann and Chris McMurray
What are the levels and benefits of Host Committee? Read below to learn more!
Feast Membership – $1,000
- 10 tickets to Cook-Off
- Name on Cook-Off webpage
- Name in Cook-Off program
Nosh Membership- $500
- 4 tickets to Cook-Off
- Name on Cook-Off webpage
- Name in Cook-Off program
Nibble Membership- $350
- 2 tickets to Cook-Off
- Name on Cook-Off webpage
- Name in Cook-Off program
| Ticket Type | Early Bird (August 1- August 31) | Regular (September 1 – October 17) | At the Door (October 19) |
| Adult (ages 13+) | $ 50 | $ 75 | $ 100 |
| Child (ages 12 and under) | $ 20 | $ 25 | $ 30 |
Looking for a fun, easy way to give to Carpenter’s Shelter?
Interested in donating a one-of-a-kind auction item? Email Meghan Cole, Development Manager, at
MCole@CarpentersShelter.org.